


Universal Drift

by thingswithwings



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, tech geniuses talk about ethics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 09:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18466582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswithwings/pseuds/thingswithwings
Summary: “I used to be a Kindergardener,” Peridot explains, slowly. “I thought I was building something."





	Universal Drift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bessyboo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bessyboo/gifts).



> So, Bessyboo reached out to me a while ago to write her some Peridot-and-Entrapta-meet fic for her to podfic for the [Awesome Ladies Podfic Anthology IX](https://amplificathon.dreamwidth.org/3207702.html), and I thought it was a great idea and got to writing. I'll link to Bess's AO3 page for the podfic once it's up, but till then, if you want to listen, you can click on the link above and find this fic in the spreadsheet. It's a really fabulous reading, yall, well worth it. 
> 
> Anyhow, now that it's been out a while, I thought I'd post the text version for those who wanted it. Enjoy! These two were a pile of fun to write and think about.

Universal Drift

“And in short, the interdimensional portal that brought you here should ― according to my calculations ― be reappearing within a few days!” Peridot concludes her speech with a flourish of her mind-controlled metal pointer, tapping on the chalkboard in front of her. Steven and the other gems applaud cheerfully, but Entrapta doesn’t move.

“That’s great, Peridot! I’m glad you found a way to get our guest back where she came from. Even though it was fun getting to meet you, and fight monsters with you, and stuff. I’m sure you’d like to get home.” Steven beams at Entrapta, who blinks suddenly, then hesitantly smiles back.

“Did you ― did you not see the math? This is good news! Good math news!” Peridot tries another flourish. Entrapta pushes herself up with her hair and walks towards the board.

“This calculation,” she says, hesitantly, pointing to one of the equations on the board. “How did you derive this?”

“Well,” Peridot says, pleased by the question, “It’s really quite simple once you grasp the basic principles of universal drift. Gem science has known for a long time that objects are inherently attracted to their places of origin, and seek to return to them. That’s part of what will enable the portal to re-form.”

“Oh,” Entrapta says. Her attention seems fixed. Peridot frowns and glances at Steven, who shrugs.

“I can . . . explain it to you more?” Peridot tries. She always feels more comfortable when she understands all the science behind what’s happening to her. Maybe this Entrapta is the same.

“That would be beneficial.” 

Peridot explains, and Entrapta eventually gets excited with her as she begins to understand the gem science, asking interesting questions and making cute jokes on the chalkboard with the equations. Her hair flips around her passionately as she talks, and she seems to be enjoying herself. 

For Peridot, it’s a treat: someone to talk science with, someone with her energy and love for the details. Entrapta clicks on her recorder a few times to make notes, and it makes Peridot smile.

But Peridot’s also spent a lot of time with Lapis, and learned what it’s like when someone’s heart isn’t in what they’re doing, even if it’s something they love, like flying around on water-wings or making little water-tornados or soaking Peridot’s face with water. 

_Depression_ , Steven had explained to her, once. 

“Aren’t you ― aren’t you excited? To be going back?” Peridot asks. All the others had gradually faded away as the scientific discussion intensified, and now it’s just her and Entrapta, standing together in the cool twilight outside the barn, squinting at the chalkboard through the gloom.

Entrapta doesn’t answer, but her hair moves around her. It reminds Peridot of how she used to move, sometimes, with her limb enhancers; the way they’d fidget for her, when she felt like fidgeting.

“You said your world had all kinds of cool tech. It sounded like a paradise! People helping you do research, giving you all the resources you need, and all those First Ones secrets to explore.” Peridot almost wishes she could go back with Entrapta. 

But she has a life here, her friends, Lapis, Pumpkin. Peridot’s collected data on all of them, and allowed them to collect data on her, and as a result their relationships are a fine web of interconnected information, binding them all together with in-jokes and understandings. She couldn’t bear to leave those data-links behind. They tether her here, against any desire to return home.

“That’s just it! I should want to go back! I do want to go back, and get my hands on that First Ones data crystal again, and figure it all out.” Her mouth makes one of the kinds of frowns that Peridot always finds particularly distressing on Steven or Lapis. 

“Then why don’t you sound like it?” Peridot gesticulates as she half-yells the question; Entrapta’s a lot taller than she is, and Peridot feels the need to make up for the difference with emphatic gestures. She does sometimes still miss her limb enhancers.

“I don’t know!” Entrapta falls backwards, her hair catching her as she goes. “I do!”

“Seems like you don’t,” Peridot says, doubtfully. Entrapta groans and clutches her face. Peridot doesn’t know what else to say, so there’s a long silence.

Eventually, Entrapta pushes herself back up and folds herself into a cross-legged position. “All this science you’ve shown me, it’s magnificent. Theories of space, and time, and matter, all these elegant systems ― they’re beautiful.”

Peridot smiles. “They are perfect,” she agrees, wistfully. It’s full dark now, but she glances up at the chalkboard anyway. The lights from the barn are enough for her to make out just a few of the equations. Some of her favorites.

“But where are your scientists, your technologists? Where are the people who study these theories? Who develop your tech?”

“There are human ones,” Peridot says, “but honestly, their level of understanding is laughable.”

Entrapta looks at her, eyes glittering in the dark. “You’re avoiding the question.”

“It’s gem science,” Peridot says, irritated. “From Homeworld. Our ― the gem Homeworld. That’s where they study it, and make new tech. I used to have these limb enhancers ― prostheses, like your hair, sort of ― that were the latest in gem tech. Cutting edge. I could manipulate whole systems with my mind, all at once.”

“That’s _amazing_ ,” Entrapta breathes. “What happened to them?” 

“They were destroyed.” Peridot sighs, letting it turn into a grumble at the end, and adds the data Entrapta’s looking for: “We’re at war with Homeworld, or, at least, sometimes we are. We’re cut off from all of that. I can do things on my own here, and Pearl is a surprisingly adept collaborator on technological projects, but ― ”

“But you aren’t part of that world anymore. Your home.”

“I miss it,” Peridot admits. 

“You miss it, but you _don’t go back_ ,” Entrapta points out, poking Peridot with her hair for emphasis. Peridot lets herself be pushed back by the soft force of it, thinking about all the strange interactions and movements of molecules that led to this moment, this one small exertion of energy in a universe ― a multiverse! ― full of them.

“I used to be a Kindergardener,” Peridot explains, slowly. “I thought I was building something. Making things new, making them better. I grew armies and armies of gem warriors, each more perfect than the last.” She digs in the dirt with her toe. From here, she can almost see the rows of corn, the garden that she and Lapis have built together. The air is rich with the smell of the soil, the ripening plants, the leftover heat of the sun on the grass. “I wasn’t growing anything. I was destroying. And I didn’t know it.”

“You were caught up,” Entrapta breathes. “Caught up in it, in, in the tech ― ”

“Everything shiny, and beautiful, and new new new. Nothing out of reach. Nothing I couldn’t think through, or explain. Nothing to stop me.”

“You were good at your work,” Entrapta translates.

“I was excellent.” Peridot doesn’t find that she takes as much pride in that as she once did, however. 

Entrapta inches closer to her, so that their arms are touching. Peridot doesn’t know what that means, and doesn’t have an equation for it, no matter how many times she’s tried to quantify Crystal Gem interpersonal behavior. It is nice, though.

“I built an army,” Entrapta says. She says it simply and clearly. “I made it powerful. The First Ones tech, you have to understand, it’s so ― it’s all potential, all glorious possibilities and endless permutations, and all of it asking to be used, made, developed. It’s ― ” she pauses, clearly searching for the word.

“Perfect,” Peridot supplies. 

“Yes,” Entrapta breathes. 

“There’s more to life than perfection.” Peridot thinks again of the corn, and reconsiders. “I think Steven would say: life is the opposite of perfection.”

“That doesn’t make any _sense_ ,” Entrapta says. 

“No,” Peridot agrees. She takes Entrapta’s hand in hers, squeezing a little. Her limb enhancers would have catalogued this sensation, given her reams of data about the pressure and temperature of Entrapta’s skin, the speed and friction of movement of their hands together. 

Peridot still misses her limb enhancers sometimes, but not right now.

“You’ve got a few days to spend with us, before your portal takes you back home. I could ― if you want, I could take you to see the Kindergarden. Or the battle sites. All the best of gem technology. I’m not so good at the stories, but maybe Pearl or Garnet could help with that.”

“Stories?” Entrapta asks. “Why stories?”

Peridot shrugs, unsure how to respond. She knows the stories are important. She reaches for the words. “Tech always comes with stories. It’s never by itself, in isolation. You need to hear the stories, too.”

Entrapta takes a shaky breath. “Okay,” she says. “I’ll listen.”

“That’s a good start,” Peridot agrees.


End file.
